The Funeral
by RionaleprechaunwingsGallagher
Summary: Riona and the Squints at Booth's funeral. Number 4 in my series. "An Old Friend", "Every Day Life", "A Shot Rang Out". Sequel to "A Shot Rang Out".


Okay, first I would like to say in response to a guest review to "A Shot Rang Out": This series is from Riona's POV. It may be third person, but it's Riona's POV. I try to include the others as much as possible, and I try to show her friendship with both Booth & Brennan. I'm sorry if there isn't enough of the main characters for you, but my stories will remain how I write them.

Secondly, I'd like to thank those of you who do appreciate my stories how I write them, and I'm glad that you enjoy them. I love to write, and I love that I can post my fanfiction here. So, thank you. :-)

Now, this story.

Characters involved: The Squints, Sweets, Brennan, Booth, Caroline, Cullen, and Riona.

Major characters: Booth, Riona, Cullen, and Brennan

Summary: Riona and the others at Booth's "funeral".

I hope that this clears up any confusion. Enjoy. :-)

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**The Funeral**

Riona was in tears already. It wasn't even time for the funeral, just time to pick up Brennan. She knew that this would be a fight, but she was glad that she didn't have to try to convince Bren to come. She couldn't find the right words to say to her friend. She couldn't find any words, really. She was missing a part of herself.

"It's time, Dr. Brennan," Hodgins said.

"The metacarpal phalangial joints are smooth, showing dexterity. Perhaps a musician," Brennan reasoned, looking over an old skeleton.

"That's enough. We're going. Now," Cam stated.

"I have remains to identify! He could have a family!"

"He's _five hundred_ years old. They've probably adjusted by now," Angela replied.

"I'm not going! I've already made that clear!" Brennan answered vehemently.

"It's Agent Booth's funeral, Dr. Brennan. Losing a loved one-"

Brennan cut Sweets off, and her voice covered Riona's sniffling. "A partner, Sweets. I lost a partner."

"Someone close to you," Sweets amended. "The funeral allows you to grieve-"

"The Arunti Aboriginal tribe in Australia grieves by burning down their village and moving to a new one. I find that no crazier than gathering around a hole in the ground."

"Being hostile won't-"

Sweets was cut off once again, but this time by Angela.

"Brennan, a word." Angela took Brennan's arm and dragged her away.

"Excuse me, professional psychologist!" Sweets said, offended.

Angela held up a finger, and Riona watched. Riona was unable to hear the conversation, but she could see the pain in Brennan's eyes. She saw Angela pull out the card for Booth's funeral, and Riona felt the tears roll down her cheeks. Whatever Angela said to Brennan worked, though, and Brennan agreed to go to the funeral.

~*~BONES~*~

"I knew Seeley Booth. He was a good man who earned my respect and affection, and I don't like many people. He had a selfless commitment to his work, first in the military, and then the FBI. Two weeks ago, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life to save his partner, and in that brave act, he showed us what greatness we are all capable of. "

"That woman was aiming at me! I would have happily taken that bullet!" Brennan interrupted.

"I know," Angela soothed her.

Riona moved closer to Brennan, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't stand to hear Caroline Julian talk about Booth in the past tense. She missed her best friend.

"May God's mercy shine down on Seeley Booth as he takes his place beside the Lord."

"If there was a merciful God, why wouldn't He have saved Booth?" Brennan exclaimed.

Riona felt the same way. She just wanted her best friend back. She turned to watch the Honor Guard and felt her heart skip a beat. She recognized the man on the far end. And, sure enough, he pushed through the crowd. He started fighting with a man in a black trench coat. As soon as Brennan saw Booth get hit in the face, though, she started moving. She knocked out the man that Booth was fighting with, and then she turned to Booth.

"Bones, nice shot!" Booth said as he stood up.

She just glared at him, a stark contrast to the happiness that Riona was feeling.

"What?" he asked, completely unaware of what was happening.

This caused Brennan to punch Booth in the face. He fell to the ground, and Brennan stalked away. Riona ran to Booth, tackle hugging him as he was just getting back up.

"Riona!" Booth gasped, having the wind knocked out of him.

"I hate you. I hate you. God, you're such an idiot. Why did I think you were dead, Booth?"

"You didn't know?" he asked, pulling back to look at his best friend in the universe.

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Of course I didn't know! You think that I would have attacked you like this if I knew?"

Booth hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Leprechaun. You were supposed to know. I swear you were supposed to know. You and Bones, both. Did-did she not know, either?"

Riona shook her head. He frowned and wiped the tears from her eyes. She buried her face in his chest.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you, too," he replied. "Care to give me a ride back to the lab?"

"I rode with Angela and Jack."

"Come on, Big Guy, I'll drive you," Cam said.

Booth got off the ground with Riona still clinging to him.

"Hey, I'll see you later, okay? I promise," he assured her.

"Okay." She nodded.

He hugged her tightly again and kissed the top of her head. "After I sort things out with Bones, you and I will take a night to hang out."

"Okay. I'll hold you to that," she murmured, smiling softly.

"Good." He smiled back at her.

Riona caught a cab back to the Hoover, where she went straight to Deputy Director Cullen's office.

"Dr. Gallagher, what can I help you with?" Cullen asked cordially.

"I want to know why Booth's death was faked and why I didn't know. He's my best friend, and I work for the Bureau," Riona demanded.

"You were supposed to know. Booth gave me a list of people to be informed. I gave that list to Dr. Sweets. He was to inform the people on Booth's list that Booth's death was faked for National Security reasons."

Riona was shocked. Sweets had watched her suffer for two weeks. He had watched Bren, clearly in pain, suffer for two weeks. She thanked the Deputy Director before leaving. She headed home, and she settled in bed with the intention of sleeping all night. She grabbed a photo album from when she was younger and smiled, looking at the pictures that froze her and Booth from childhood. It showed the progression of the thirteen years that they were inseparable beings. And she was so happy. But, she knew that she would go nuts on Sweets the next time she saw him. Well, at least the funeral was a fake one. Booth was alive, and she had her best friend back with her.

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Okay, I hope that you all enjoyed this. The next story will be a date with Riona and Chris, because Booth succeeded in getting Chris to ask her out. I hope you stay with me for the next story! Love you all, and please leave a review! :-)

-AL


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